Report - Rebuttal - Arbitrate

Complaint Review:
Direct Business Lending | Ripoff Report Verified™ …businesses you can trust. Direct Business Lending takes pride in assisting navigating lending guidelines banks and non-bank have which can be confusing. Direct Business Lending extends this expertise into various essential services solving majority of funding obstacles encountered by business owners & entrepreneurs alike.

Corporate Advocacy Program: The best way to manage and repair your business reputation. Hiding negative complaints is only a Band-Aid. Consumers want to see how businesses take care of business. All businesses will get complaints. How those businesses take care of those complaints is what separates good businesses from bad businesses.

EDitor’s UPDATE: Positive rating and recognition has been given to Direct Business Lending for its commitment to excellence in customer service.

Ripoff Report’s discussions with Direct Business Lending have uncovered an ongoing commitment by the company to total client satisfaction. Direct Business Lending is a rapidly growing organization that has helped thousands of small businesses navigate the complex process of achieving funding for their business. Direct Business Lending has built it’s team around it’s core values of going the extra mile for it’s customers. While continually investing in it’s Client Services team, Direct Business Lending has shown a continual commitment to exceeding it’s client’s expectations. Clients can expect full transparency in the loan process as well as continual communication with the Direct Business Lending team. [continued below]....

Report Attachments:

..... Any issues with clients are promptly resolved with a mutually agreeable solution that is endorsed by the CEO himself. Direct Business Lending welcomes client feedback, both positive and negative and strives to turn around any negative scenarios with continual improvement to become more efficient as a company in the services it offers it’s clients.

Direct Business Lending CEO, Mr. Jantzen Fugate, has informed us that his business is an extension of his personal beliefs on how to correctly treat people. Mr. Fugate personally knows about all clients that are concerned and is personally involved in making sure they have an amazing experience with Direct Business Lending. As a successful entrepreneur who once started as a small business like many of his clients, Mr. Fugate feels it is critical to always be connected with his clients to understand their concerns and work hard to respond properly. By always putting his customers first, Mr. Fugate is confident that Direct Business Lending will continue to help millions of small businesses across America realize their dreams.

Top executives of the company told us that Mr. Fugate’s biggest fault is that he cares to much about his staff and clients and is continually going the extra mille. He inherently provides a service above and beyond anyones expectation and puts client happiness above all. Direct Business Lending's core values of: 1) Go The Extra Mile; 2) Excellent Client Service; 3) Pursue Growth & Learning; 4) Be Passionate Everyday; 5) Build a Positive Team Environment have allowed Direct Business Lending to build an organization that is customer centric from the top down. “Direct Business Lending truly communicate all aspects of the job in a timely and effective manner. We are very pleased with the responsiveness that he and his employees show us. They are serious about meeting commitments, and deliver on all their promises.”

The information provided in this report below is based on comments made by Jentzen Fugate during an on-site inspection held by a third party verification company with no biases toward Direct Business Lending.Ripoff Report Verified™ .. part of Ripoff Report Corporate Advocacy Business Remediation & Customer Satisfaction Program.A program that benefits the consumer, assures them of complete satisfaction and confidence when doing business with a member business..

Direct Business Lending is a company specializing in helping start-up companies and entrepreneurs get access to capital. “We want to help the individuals who can’t get approved for financing get approved to qualify for financing. If they don’t qualify for capital, help them understand why and get them in a position to qualify for funding eventually, whether they use our services or someone else’s,” states Jantzen Fugate, CEO of Direct Business Lending.

Leads are primarily acquired through Internet searches regarding small business information, how to start a business, small business loans, etc. “Also, lenders will send us their declines and will live transfer over their start-up leads. These are customers that banks won’t lend to since they don’t have good credit or are in business for 2+ years,” states Mr. Fugate. A typical sales experience for a customer starts with the customer finding Direct Business Lending’s website and then filling out a general information form. At that point, the customer will receive a call from the company to welcome them and give them some information.

DIRECT BUSINESS LENDING ONE-ON-ONE CUSTOMER CARE

"Each individual customer is unique and has different services or products tailored to their individual needs,” explains Mr. Fugate. "For instance, one customer’s experience might involve them signing up, and at that point, Direct Business Lending’s matching technology identifies that they have funding resources available to the customer, so they then send the customer directly to the funding source. In contrast, if the customer is not identified as having funding sources available to them, Direct Business Lending will then have their funding analysts talk with the customer to learn their background and other information to determine how they can qualify the customer and what the customer wishes to accomplish. Once the customer is pre-qualified, they are set up with a consultation with a Senior Funding Advisor to review the client’s fundability, strengths, weaknesses, funding opportunities that are available, and what they can do to increase their chances of funding.”

At times, customers may not feel they are satisfied with the services they are receiving. Two primary examples of complaints involve the response time of the staff at Direct Business Lending, or not being able to receive funding. “We experienced 400% growth, bringing in 15-65 clients per week. With that, we had some growing pains. A couple scenarios [occurred]: not being able to answer calls, voicemails, and e-mails in a timely manner because we had a short staff due to the tremendous growth; [the] response time [ranged] from about 36 hours to about 30 minutes,” explains Mr. Fugate. “Another scenario: occasionally people don’t get funding and we try to explain that we are not guaranteeing funding, we are letting them get in the best possible position to qualify for financing. Sometimes people misunderstand the contract terms and think we are guaranteeing funding,” states Mr. Fugate. Both of these issues are common complaints.

STATED IMPROVEMENTS FROM DIRECT BUSINESS LENDING.

Direct Business Lending has grown is Client Services team 5x in less then 1 year to keep up with the demand. Adding a Quality Assurance department, recruiting a top level client services manager and rebuilding it’s technology platform to better track client communication is part of the ongoing process to providing amazing service to each and every client.

Direct Business Lending recognizes that complaints posted on Rip-off Report (whether true or not) are issues that need to be addressed, not ignored. If handled correctly, complaints can be valuable learning opportunities. With the feedback generated by Ripoff Report’s review Direct Business Lending has made organizational changes allowing its clients and employees a more streamlined approach to problem resolution and a commitment to a great client experience.

Since receiving complaints, Direct Business Lending has taken a few steps to try to avoid these issues in the future. “We have hired more staff to increase response time. We [also] have a funding advisor explain our services and then they go to the compliance department, making sure that they are moving forward on the right foot,” explains Mr. Fugate. The team at Direct Business Lending also now employs the use of a “welcome call” to explain the process and align all expectations to avoid any misunderstandings of the services provided. Additionally, a Client Services Manager has been hired to help prepare the company for future growth.

Once a complaint is resolved, Direct Business Lending does not have a follow-up process in place. “Once we part ways with an individual, we don’t follow up with them once the situation has been resolved. We also send them a settlement statement agreement. We do take all of our complaints very seriously so that we can use them to propel our company forward and learn from any mistakes we may have made in the process,” explains Mr. Fugate. However, if the customer continued to use their services, there is a slightly different process that takes place. “We do have an Escalations Manager who handles the complaint, then we flag this in our CRM which then notifies the Account Manager, who can also take care of the client and make sure their complaint is taken care of,” explains Mr. Fugate.

If a client wishes to cease business with the company, Direct Business Lending does have a cancellation policy in place. “Each client has the ability to exercise their 3-days’ right to rescind and get 100% of their money back,” explains Mr. Fugate. “After the 3 days, it depends on each case, on how much they get back depending on what services we have provided to them already. Sometimes we have already performed an extensive amount of work on their profile, so we have to take this into consideration.” Customers have the ability to cancel their contract at any time, but whether or not they receive a refund, and how much they receive, is determined on a case by case basis.

Direct Business Lending recognizes the value of working with Ripoff Report and the Corporate Advocacy Business Remediation and Customer Satisfaction Program, and the platform it provides for businesses and clients to interact and resolve issues. “It is very important to us; we want clients to understand we are very serious about customer services, our reputation, and sustainability for the long term and we want to build a corporation,” explains Mr. Fugate. “We don’t want questions out there as far as online complaints and not being able to take ownership over them. We take them in as learning experiences. We want to be a part of the Advocacy program so that we can address any complaints immediately and remedy the situation to the best of our ability.”

DIRECT BUSINESS LENDING SUCCESS STORIES

"Things happen fast in the restaurant business. Had I waited for a traditional bank loan to come through, I’d very likely be out of business right now. DBL really helped me out of a tough jam by securing funding in three days.” ~ Matt Richmond, Restaurateur, Secured $65,000 In Funding

"I thought landscaping was hard work. Trying to find funding in this economy for a start up is not just difficult, it’s almost impossible. Even when the funds had been deposited in my bank account (in four days!), I still couldn’t believe it.” ~ Skip Church, Landscaper, Secured $23,000 In Funding

"My shop badly needed equipment upgrades. No matter what I tried I just couldn’t get the funding I needed on my own. When I found DBL they matched me with a lender right away and I had my funds in days. What a huge relief!” ~ Sharon Lawrence, Hair Stylist, Secured $38,000 In Funding

DIRECT BUSINESS LENDING DEDICATION TO CUSTOMER SUCCESS

"We work with thousands of small businesses each week and we take great pride in being able to assist so many American’s realize their dreams of owning their own business. The support and assistance towards business funding we provide has provided millions of dollars in business funding front he humble start up being run out of the basement on evenings and weekends all the way up to VC funded multi-million dollar businesses. The amount of calls, emails, thai you cards we receive is a constant reminder of how our team impacts the lives of so many people. Thank you for all your kind words, they are appreciated!

Direct Business Lending strives to be the very best in the industry and provide a funding solution for every business. For even the toughest files, it is our responsibility to be creative and find the best solutions.

Direct Business Lending client services team have expressed that they love doing their jobs and helping business owners achieve funding. The project manager at Direct Business Lending stated “Mr Fugate is the ultimate leader, he personally gets involved with clients, taking the time on evening or weekends to ensure a client is happy and successful, he makes all of us want to provide even better service to our clients. His attitude is infectious and we are all better because of him. Our clients know this as well, it’s great to receive this approval emails, that still brings a smile to my face and I’ve lost count of how many I’ve received.”

Direct Business Lending takes employee satisfaction seriously as well. Employees are encouraged to continual improve, go the extra mile and always support the client. Feedback and surveys reveal comments such as this: "Direct Business Lending is one of the greatest place to work. I have built lifelong relationships and have brought several friends to come work here. The openness of communication is like nothing I have ever experienced, it’s amazing that everyone has a voice, not just managers. As the company has grown so quickly, promotions happen quickly of the right people, I couldn't imagine working anywhere else. Jantzen is amazing to work for; he takes the time to listen and communicate with all employees and customers no matter the time of day." Ripoff Report was pleased to learn that Direct Business Lending’s past and current approach to business is focused on its pledge to total commitment towards client and employee satisfaction.

In summary, after our review, which included discussions with Mr. Fugate and many of his past and current associates, Ripoff Report is convinced that Direct Business Lending committed to quality delivery of services resulting in total client satisfaction.

As a matter of policy, when a business becomes a member of the Corporate Advocacy Programthey agree to allow Ripoff Report to contact every client who filed a complaint so they can make things right with them. In order to confirm that the complaints were resolved, Ripoff Report is copied on all responses so we can insure that the member business did right by their customer.

NOW TO THE ORIGINAL REPORT THAT WAS FILED

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Direct Business Lending DBL I now believe all the Reviews, it's a scam Salt Lake City Utah

My experience with DBL is exactly like all the others, when I signed up I asked them about the rip off reports and they explained that those customers didn't understand the policy of what DBL could do for them and I believed them. I signed up with the understanding they could get me a lender.

They had me access my credit report to see what was on it. They had me sign up for a credit report. They sent me 3 to choose from, the one I chose only gave me 1 bureau. Told me it wasn't good enough scores were too high, I need all 3 bureaus to compare scores. Cost was 28.95 because they told me to keep it for future request. Then they wanted me to send all 3 bureaus a letter to dispute that my old addresses and Jobs be removed and any judgments. All but one agreed to remove them. Cost to me was 16.00 because they told me to send them certified. Also told when I get a reply from the bureaus I was to send them a copy via email, which I did. They sent me another letter to send to the one that didn't agree,

Now they suggest I get a co-signer. ( If I wanted to use a co-signer I would have never used DBL.)

They had me fill out an entity form and told me the Business name I chose was available and to copy and sign and send in with a check. I waited 2 weeks and they never emailed me the form. I had to call DBL to ask where my entity was to sign and send to the State. They apologized and told me they can't find the one I sent back to them but they did see that they sent me a receipt of the entity I emailed to them. They asked me to please fill it out again I did. I mailed it out and 2 weeks later the State said that business name was already taken. I called DBL and told them and she again apologized and said she would send another form with my second business name, She said it would be sent to me within 72 hrs and that was March 31st and still waiting. I took it upon myself to edit the first business name and sent it back in to the state.

I don't want to mess my credit score up so...

Has anyone contacted a lawyer yet? Can we get a claim against them? How many of us are out there?

Corporate Advocacy Program: The best way to manage and repair your business reputation. Hiding negative complaints is only a Band-Aid. Consumers want to see how businesses take care of business. All businesses will get complaints. How those businesses take care of those complaints is what separates good businesses from bad businesses.

Corporate Advocacy Program: The best way to manage and repair your business reputation. Hiding negative complaints is only a Band-Aid. Consumers want to see how businesses take care of business. All businesses will get complaints. How those businesses take care of those complaints is what separates good businesses from bad businesses.